Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) has added the final piece to its basketball team in hopes of successfully defending last season’s Xcellent 25 national championship awarded by MaxPreps.
Enes Kanter, a 6-foot-10, 250-pounder from Istanbul, Turkey, rejected a reported $6 million contract with his home team to play his senior year in the USA.
Findlay Prep assistant coach Todd Simon told MaxPreps, “Within 72 hours (after the announcement), probably 60 colleges had called us. It was a huge deal overseas (in the news media). He wants to be in the NBA and wanted to get a head start over here.
“His combination of work ethic, size and absolute skill at that position is rare. Not a lot of guys that size can shoot, put it on the floor and do it all. He is so strong and is only going to get stronger. He’s a phenomenal kid and his dad is a professor.”
Kanter was named MVP in this summer’s Under-18 European Championships. In the semifinals he had 32 points and 25 rebounds in 39 minutes against eventual champion Serbia. In the bronze medal game he had 35 points on 16-of-22 shooting, 19 rebounds and four blocks in 36 minutes against Lithuania.
* Noah Cottrill, ranked No. 55 in the senior class by MaxPreps, has transferred from Mountain State Academy (Beckley, W.Va.) to Logan, W.Va. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 25.8 points as a junior and has committed to West Virginia University.
He was involved in a recent car accident and received 50 stitches due to severe lacerations, but is expected to play this year.
Steinbrenner High School
It sounds like something out of a movie, but Steinbrenner High School is opening its doors Tuesday in Lutz, Fla. It has been named in honor of nearby Tampa resident George Steinbrenner, long-time owner of the New York Yankees. The $60 million school will house 2,000 students and begin with grades 9-10-11.
Steinbrenner, who has given millions of dollars to area charities over the years, is nicknamed the “Boss” for his tight-fisted management of the Yankees over the years. The school even is offering courses in sports marketing, sports medicine and the business of sports (entitled BOSS) covering his specialty - entrepreneurship.
The athletic teams are nicknamed the Warriors. So far none of the coaches have been fired, but the Boss will be watching…
USA U16 team wins gold
The USA Under-16 baseball team scored twice in the ninth inning to nip Cuba, 7-6, in the final game of the IBAF AA World Youth Championships in Taichung, Taiwan. Catcher Evan Powell (Lake Charles, La.) doubled in the winning run as the Americans won their 31st straight game in international competition over the last four years.
USA left fielder Austin Cousino (Dublin, Ohio) was named MVP after leading the tournament with 18 runs batted in. Center fielder JoMarcos Woods (Orlando, Fla.) led the tourney with a .667 batting average and 19 runs scored. Cory Geisler (Spring, Texas) had a 2-0 record and was named top left-handed pitcher, while Francisco Lindor (Clermont, Fla.) was named the top shortstop.
* Donavan Tate (Cartersville, Ga.) inked a $6.25 million signing bonus with the San Diego Padres. The talented center fielder was the No. 3 overall selection in the June draft. He had taken part in a few pre-season practices with the University of North Carolina football team before electing to make baseball his career.
Midland is Legion champ
Midland, Mich., Berryhill Post 165 defeated Medford, Ore., 11-4, to win the American Legion Baseball World Series in Fargo, N.D. The first-time champs had a 17-2 record during the playoffs – 5-0 in the finals – and were the first Michigan winner in 50 years. They finished 51-8 for the summer.
Midland shortstop Jordan Dean, a recent Bullock Creek graduate who is headed for Central Michigan University, was named MVP. Chad Mayle, who will be a junior this fall at Dow High, was an all-tourney pitching selection.
Pleasant Grove celebrates a big win over Timpview.
Photo by David Turner
The USA defeated Germany, 9-6, to place third during the Under-17 Five Nations Hockey Tournament in Fussen, Germany. Alex Gacek (Dracut, Mass.) recorded a hat trick for the USA, while Shane McColgan (Hermosa Beach, Calif.) had a pair of goals. Netminder Jay Williams (McLean, Va.) recorded 32 saves.
The Americans went 2-2 in the tourney and also won an exhibition against Germany, 3-1. Their other win was against Switzerland, 4-3. They lost to Slovakia, 3-2, and the Czech Republic, 2-1.
Brendan Jensen (El Granada, Calif.) made 33 saves against the Czech Republic.
Minaya ties state record
P.J. Minaya tied the Hawaii state record by firing eight touchdown passes as Pac-Five outlasted McKinley, 66-40. He passed for 359 yards while tying the record set by Timmy Chang of Honolulu St. Louis in 1999.
* Red Boiling Springs (Tenn.) snapped a 61-game losing streak, dating back to 2002, with a 28-12 victory over Oakdale.
* In Utah, Pleasant Grove snapped Provo Tempview’s 36-game winning streak with a 16-10 victory.
